The Monarch Butterfly
Danaus plexippus
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from clipart CD's which allow use on educational internet sites and in school projects
or they have been contributed by viewers.
You are free to use all of it in book reports or for your personal
website.
See KidZone Bibliography for more
information.
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Photo of a Monarch butterfly on milkweed
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Photo of a Milkweed Plant
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The monarch butterfly is sometimes called the "milkweed butterfly" because its larvae
eat the plant. In fact, milkweed is the only thing the larvae can
eat! If you'd like to attract monarchs to your garden, you can try
planting milkweed (if you live in the right area). You can purchase
milkweed seed online from Butterfly
Encounters (close window when done purchasing to return to this
screen)
Adult female monarchs lay their eggs on the underside of milkweed leaves.
These eggs hatch, depending on temperature, in three to twelve days.
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| The larvae feed on the plant leaves for about
two weeks and develop into caterpillars about 2 inches long. |
Photo of a monarch caterpillar
thanks to Tanya for sending this in! |
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Thanks
so much to Keren for sharing this picture of a Monarch pupa affectionately
know as "Billy Bunny". Check out the whole story.
We also have a photo story provided by Linda. |
After awhile, the caterpillars attach themselves head down to a convenient twig, they shed their outer skin and begin the transformation into a pupa (or chrysalis), a process which is completed in a matter of hours.
The pupa resembles a waxy, jade
vase and becomes increasingly transparent as the process progresses. The caterpillar completes the
miraculous transformation into a beautiful adult butterfly in about two weeks.
You can see photos of the entire process of a
monarch butterfly emerging from its chrysalis at photo story provided by Linda.
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| The butterfly finally emerges from the now transparent
chrysalis.
It inflates its wings with a pool of blood it has stored
in its abdomen. When this is done, the monarch expels any excess fluid and rests.
The butterfly waits until its wings stiffen and dry
before it flies away to start the cycle of life all over again.
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Eastern populations winter in Florida, along the coast of Texas, and in Mexico, and return to the north in
spring. Monarch butterflies follow the same migration patterns every year.
During migration, huge numbers of butterflies can be seen gathered
together.
Nope, those orange things to the left are not autumn
leaves... they're hundreds of Monarch butterflies! |
Most predators have learned that the monarch butterfly makes a
poisonous snack. The toxins from the monarch's milkweed diet have given
the butterfly this defense. In either the caterpillar or butterfly stage the monarch needs no camouflage because it takes in toxins from the milkweed and is poisonous to predators. Many
animals advertise their poisonous nature with bright colors... just like the
monarch!
Can you see the difference?
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The butterfly to the left is the Viceroy
Butterfly
(Limenitis archippus)
He's evolved to look like the poisonous monarch to the
right so that predators will avoid him too! |
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Still can't tell them apart? Notice that black stripe on
the bottom wings of the Viceroy. That's the give-away! It's easily
seen in the photos, but birds flying overhead looking for lunch cannot
distinguish between the two.
Scientific genus and species: Danaus plexippus
- Class: Insecta (insects)
- Order: Lepidoptera (butterflies)
- Family: Danaidae (Milkweed butterfly family)
- Genus:
Danaus
- Species:
plexippus
Monarch Butterfly
On-Line Jigsaw Puzzles
(Puzzle 1: Butterfly) (Puzzle
2: Caterpillar) (Puzzle 3:
Butterflies)
Caterpillar
Coloring Page
Monarch
Chrysalis Coloring Page
Monarch
Butterfly Coloring Page
National Geographic Kids Monarch
Butterflies
Life Cycle of a Monarch Butterfly with
words or no words
compare the
"complete metamorphosis" of the butterfly with the "incomplete
metamorphosis" of the dragonfly
Complete Metamorphosis (egg/larva/pupa/adult): Butterfly with
words or no words
Incomplete Metamorphosis
(egg/larva/adult):
Dragonfly with
words or no words
Grade
six ThinkQuest project for Monarch Butterflies
including a great anagram puzzle.
Canadians click here...
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Introduction
to Animal Classes
